1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a job network setup method, job network execution method, job management system, management terminal and program.
2. Description of the Related Art
The so-called job management system which executes jobs according to a set job network is publicly known and disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (Kokai) Publications Nos. Hei5-12037, Hei8-44574 and 2001-282551.
In such a job management system, a user sets up the job network while viewing a setup screen, for example, as shown in FIG. 12.
The setup screen shown in FIG. 12 allows setup such that data is transferred from a preceding job to a succeeding job, and the user specifies a file name in a “Standard Output” setup option 64 in properties setting fields 54 of a preceding job A1 and specifies the same file name in a “Standard Input” setup option 63 in the properties setting field 55 of a succeeding job A2 as that specified in the “Standard Output” setup option 64. Note that the “standard output” here refers to a standard output available with operating systems such as UNIX® and MS-DOS® and a device used as a standard output destination by processes which are executed on an operating system. Note also that the “standard input” refers to a device used as a standard input destination by the process which is executed on an operating system.
With conventional job management systems, however, even if a file name is specified on the setup screen shown in FIG. 12, it has been necessary for the user to make available a file corresponding to the file name on the operating system. Additionally, since an enormous number of jobs are occasionally contained in a job network, it has been necessary for the user to bear a considerable burden from complicated tasks such as file name specification and files management.
Moreover, the job management system is often used in an environment in which a plurality of computers are connected over a network as shown in FIG. 13, and in this case a job network may be set up to include jobs executed on different computers. In order to transfer data between jobs in this environment, the user has had to bear a considerable burden associated with the job network setup such as setting up a job used exclusively to send data for transfer between jobs over the network and setting up middleware or other software if the job management system is not equipped with file transmission function.
Note that storage systems such as SAN (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network Attached Storage) which are built for efficient storage use and other purposes are among recent examples of connection of a plurality of computers over a network. And, RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) management servers, database servers, file servers and the like are connected over a network for operation in a storage system for load distribution, improved availability and other purposes.
There are times when one wishes to make different jobs reference common environmental variables (which refer to character strings managed by the operating system and referenced by jobs, applications and batch files). In this case, environmental variables are set up in each computer, for example, by performing the steps shown in FIG. 14 if different jobs are executed in an environment as shown in FIG. 13.
(1) Create an environmental variable file (“Env001”) on the operating system of a computer 10 and include, for example, the environmental variables' settings listed below in this file. Note that “COMPANY_NAME”, “PRODUCT_NAME”, “DB_NAME” and “BACKUP_ID” are environmental variables and what follows “=” in each of the variables is its setting in this example.    COMPANY_NAME=Hitachi    PRODUCT_NAME=HiCommand    DB_NAME=HiRDB    BACKUP_ID=32695
(2) Before executing a job network, send, for example, the environmental variable file “Env001” created in the computer 10 to computers 20, 30 and 40, in which individual jobs are executed, via a network 5.
(3) Specify “Env001” as the environmental variable file to be referenced by the jobs A1 and A2 and a job A3 when setting up the job network.
When performing the steps here, the user needs to manually set up the environmental variable file and send the file to the computers 20, 30 and 40 by job setup or by other methods in the case of conventional job management systems. Additionally, if the user wishes to make a succeeding job reference the environmental variables' settings after they are updated by a preceding job, it has been necessary for the user, for example, to handle cumbersome tasks such as setting up a job for sending the environmental variables' settings updated by the preceding job from the computer executing the preceding job to the computer executing the succeeding job after execution of the preceding job and before execution of the succeeding job.
As discussed above, an arrangement has been required in job management systems which allows the user to efficiently set up a job network.